SBA Announces $3M in Grants to Improve Cybersecurity for Small Businesses

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced $3 million in new funding to support cybersecurity for emerging small businesses. This initiative, under the Cybersecurity for Small Businesses Pilot Program, will award three grants to state agencies, providing training and support to combat cyber threats.

Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the SBA, highlighted the importance of this funding. “With small businesses accounting for 99.9 percent of all American businesses and employing nearly half of the private workforce, any cyber threat to our small businesses is a threat to our country’s overall economy,” said Guzman. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to strengthening our nation’s cybersecurity and equipping small businesses with the tools they need to strengthen their cyber health and prevent costly attacks that disrupt their businesses. Through this new funding, the SBA will fund ecosystem partners to provide more cyber training and counseling to strengthen small businesses’ ability to compete in this increasingly digital economy.”

Applications for the grants will be accepted from July 2 to August 2. Applicants can apply for awards ranging from $1,000,000 to $1,045,000, covering a performance period of 24 months ending in September 2026. Eligible applicants include state and territorial government agencies aiming to offer tailored cybersecurity services to startups and emerging entrepreneurs.

This funding opportunity will support efforts to educate emerging small businesses when they are most vulnerable to cyber threats. It will help them develop robust cybersecurity measures, which are critical for operating in today’s digital economy.

The SBA’s Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot Program has awarded nearly $9 million since 2022. Proposals for this round of funding must be posted to Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on August 2 under “Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot” (Funding Opportunity Number SB-OEDCS-24-001).

In addition to the grant program, the SBA, along with its Resource Partners, offers various cybersecurity resources to small businesses. These include in-person and online training. Small business owners can find local SBA resources at www.sba.gov/local-assistance and learn more about SBA’s cybersecurity programs and services at www.sba.gov/cybersecurity.

About the Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot Program

Cyberattacks pose a real threat to small businesses and the broader U.S. economy. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report, cybercrimes against small businesses cost $2.9 billion in 2023. Small businesses are often targeted due to their valuable information and typically weaker security infrastructure compared to larger enterprises.

An SBA survey revealed that 88% of small business owners felt their businesses were vulnerable to cyberattacks. Many small businesses struggle with affording professional IT solutions, lack the time for cybersecurity, or don’t know where to start. Eligible applicants for this program are state governments seeking to provide cybersecurity training and services to small businesses.

This pilot program enables state governments to expand their existing services, innovate, and develop new resources to assist more small businesses. It also aims to increase access to underserved and underrepresented small business communities, ensuring a wider impact.

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